Operation: Natural Selection
by Lilangel4u
Summary: A prologue of sorts to Gundam Wing-Ghosts of the Past, or Episode Zero for Lillith and Veylona (don't know who they are? read ghosts of the past =P). Just what did they go through, and how were they changed? Gaps are filled in this story.
1. Part One: Memories Return; The Nightmare...

Disclaimer  
I don't own Gundam Wing etc...If you've read my last fic, Gundam Wing-Ghosts of the Past, you'll  
know that Reiming, Meilai, and the children are all my creation. In this fic, however, I also  
threw in the characters Phillipe and TJ, who are also my creation. This is my second fic; I hope  
you like it.   
  
NOTE: I HIGHLY recommend that you read Ghosts of the Past BEFORE you read this one. YES, I   
KNOW Ghosts is loooong...but I actually think it's pretty good:) Anyway, there are some  
elements in Ghosts that will explain some things in this story, so it should help you some.  
Now...on with the story!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Operation: Natural Selection  
  
Prologue  
  
"Useless girl! Is that the best you can do?! You little BITCH!"  
  
SMACK  
  
"You think those eyes are going to help?! Do you want to DIE?! HUH?! If you don't  
do better, I'll kill you with my own hands! Now GO and do it again!"  
  
"PATHETIC!" SMACK "Weakling!" SMACK "Useless!" SMACK  
  
FLASH  
  
"NO!!!" Reiming screamed, and jerked up, gasping. She hesitated as she took in her   
surroundings. "It was just a dream..."  
  
Reiming was in bed, her husband Trowa next to her. Quickly, she glanced at him, worried that she  
had made too much noise. But Trowa merely shifted in his sleep, and gave out a small sigh.  
"He's still asleep...that's good..." Reiming murmured, then groaned and tried to wipe some  
sweat from her brow, then fell back on bed, sighed, and went back to sleep.  
  
Meanwhile, Trowa carefully opened one eye and regarded his sleeping wife, who was tossing and  
turning in her sleep. "It's been three weeks now...she's dreaming about her past..."  
  
elsewhere  
  
"Stop it! Leave me alone!" Meilai cried as she ran down the dark hallway. But  
everywhere she looked, there were faces, ghostly faces with grosteque expressions. "Traitor...  
murderer..." they murmured, creeping closer and closer. Meilai gasped in horror and ran on,  
squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them once more, there was only one figure, a figure  
with steely eyes and a cold smirk on his face. "You know I'll have to eliminate you if you  
lose...Veylona..."  
  
FLASH  
  
"MEILAI! Wake up! Meilai!" Wufei cried, shaking his wife, who was thrashing around  
in her sleep. "Meilai! It's just a dream! Wake up!"  
  
Meilai's eyes flew open, and she jerked herself up. "Wufei..."  
  
Wufei looked at her worridly. "Meilai...were you having a nightmare?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"You're lying."  
  
Meilai hesitated. "It was...nothing. Just don't worry about it," and she lay back down and  
closed her eyes. Wufei frowned as he looked down at her. "It's been so long that she's had  
these nightmares," he thought. "It's been at least a month...but what can I do?"  
  
next day  
  
The crowd oohed as they watched the figure on the tightrope above. Reiming walked gracefully  
across, then came back and did several stunts. Down below, the Manager, Cathrine, Trowa, and  
Giselle were watching also. "She's a natural," the Manager said proudly.  
  
Giselle also watched her mother. "Mommy is so beautiful..." the child thought. "I want to be  
just like her when I grow up!"  
  
Suddenly, Reiming misplaced her foot and slipped. The crowd gasped, and several people stood up.  
The wire wobbled dangerously, and Cathrine gasped. "Oh no! Reiming!" But Reiming promptly  
regained her balance and flashed a big artificial smile. "Oh...she was joking around," someone  
in the crowd murmured, and several clapped. But Trowa was watching her with narrowed eyes.  
"Reiming has never slipped before, and she's not so stupid as to try to pretend to slip...I have  
to do something."  
  
After the show, the Manager pulled her aside. "Really Reiming, you had us all frightened there!  
Don't try something like that again, even though it was quite impressive."  
  
Reiming plastered on her fake smile again. "I'm very sorry Manager...my usual routine was  
getting so boring; I wanted to try something new. It...won't happen again," she finished,  
hesitating somewhat, and went back to the room she and Trowa shared.  
  
Trowa was waiting for her there. "You know as well as I do that that wasn't true," he stated  
flatly. "What is wrong? You've never slipped before."  
  
Reiming sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Nothing...the lights distracted me...I  
guess..."  
  
"It wasn't the lights. You haven't been sleeping well, now have you?"  
  
Reiming looked at Trowa wearily. "I...can't seem to hide anything from you, can I?"  
  
"Reiming..." Trowa said, but she cut him off. "Just forget it, okay? I CAN take care  
of myself," and she abruptly turned around and walked away.   
  
"Reiming..." Trowa murmured, looking at her.  
  
at the Preventer headquarters  
  
Wufei stared at his wife. She was moving like a zombie, stumbling into walls and throwing  
papers all over the place. He winced as she stubbed her toe against her desk, then frowned  
as she simply glanced down at it, muttered a half hearted, "Ow," and continued her work.  
Finally, after watching her for fifteen minutes, he had enough. Standing up, he paged Lady  
Une. "Meilai and I will be taking the rest of the day off," he called.  
  
"That's good...she doesn't seem to be herself today, now doesn't she?" Lady Une asked.  
  
"I...I don't know...what's going on with her. She hasn't been sleeping well," Wufei  
sighed.  
  
"Meilai can take an indefinite vacation. Don't let her back in here until she's well,  
okay Wufei?" Lady Une said, frowning. "I don't know what's the matter with her, but see to it  
that she gets well."  
  
Wufei terminated the connection, then strode out of his office...and nearly ran into Meilai.  
She glanced at him, surprised, and dropped all her papers. "Oh crap..." she said wearily,  
stooping down to pick them up.  
  
"Meilai, we're going home," Wufei said abruptly. Surprised, Meilai looked up at him.  
"Why?"  
  
"You need rest."  
  
Meilai's eyes grew flinty. "I do NOT need a babysitter, Wufei!" she growled.  
  
"Too bad."  
  
Meilai stood up, her eyes flashing. "Oh, so now you're going to try and tell me what to do now,  
is that right?" she spat angrily. "Well, it's not going to-Hey! Put me DOWN!"  
  
During her tirade, Wufei had taken a firm grip on his wife and, in an undignified manner,  
thrown her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She beat on his shoulders futilely, but  
Wufei stoically ignored the pain and walked out of the headquarters, daring anyone to laugh.  
From her office, Lady Une raised an eyebrow. "Well...that's something you don't see  
everyday..."  
  
at the Chang residence  
  
Wufei carried Meilai through the door. Meilai was no longer struggling, but was maintaining a  
blank mask of rage on her face. He walked into their bedroom, dumped her unceremoniously on  
the bed, and walked out of the room. Meilai sat up and waited, knowing that he HAD to come  
back sometime, and when he did...  
  
In another room, Wufei was making a phone call. "Hello?"  
  
"Trowa? This is Wufei."  
  
that evening  
  
Trowa turned to look at his wife, who was getting ready for bed. He thought about the  
conversation he had had with Wufei earlier, then resolutely, headed for his wife.  
  
Reiming watched her husband curiously. "He's plotting..." she thought suspiciously. "What is  
he up to now?"  
  
Trowa reached Reiming and sat down next to her. Neither said anything for awhile, then Reiming  
said, "What are you up to Trowa?"  
  
"You know, Meilai hasn't been sleeping well either."  
  
"She hasn't?" Reiming asked, raising an eyebrow. "How would you know?"  
  
"Wufei called today. He's worried about her, as I am about you."  
  
Reiming groaned and threw up her hands. "I'm just fine. Leave me alone!"  
  
"Sorry no. I'm not sitting by and watching you torture yourself. Regardless, Wufei and  
I had a long talk, and we've decided that we're going to make you two tell us what happened."  
  
Reiming stood up abruptly. "Trowa...that's cruel," she said coldly. "You know that I don't  
want to even think about that time in my life."  
  
Trowa stood up also. "Well then, if you won't talk about it..." and he produced a laptop and  
handed it to her. "Write it down, at least. Get it off of your chest. I've already told the  
Manager that you need some time alone. Take as long as you need." And with that, Trowa  
went back to bed and fell asleep.   
  
Reiming stared at the laptop in her hands, then, hesitantly, went over to a desk and put it on.  
She stared at the screen in front of her, and began to type.  
  
elsewhere  
  
"...you had NO right...can't believe you did that...I'm JUST FINE...leave me alone..."  
Meilai snarled furiously as Wufei sat there, more or less ignoring her. He knew that she had  
to wrap it up...eventually. After another thirty or so minutes, Meilai finally finished and  
she glared at her husband. "You didn't hear a word I said, now did you?!"  
  
"No...I heard...some."  
  
Meilai glared some more, then turned around to flounce off to the bedroom. "You're sleeping on  
the couch tonight!" she growled. Wufei smiled thinly, and reached out and grabbed her elbow.  
"Now what?!" she spat. In response, he shoved a laptop at her. "Trowa's forcing Reiming to do  
the same," he said simply.  
  
Meilai stared at the laptop in her hands, completely bewildered. "What's this?"  
  
"I want you to write down everything that happened. It'll let you vent some steam  
that way."  
  
Meilai looked at him oddly. "Wufei...I have WORK tomorrow. I can't stay up all night and then  
some pouring out over ten years on this thing."  
  
"Lady Une had already insisted that you stay home until you're ready to come back to  
work," Wufei said, shoving her towards the couch. "Now start typing."  
  
"You just don't want to sleep on the couch," she muttered after he left. She sighed,  
then began to type.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sooo...what do you think?? Any and all feedback is welcome, just email me at  
lilangel4u@yahoo.com. thanks for reading!  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
~Reiming~  
  
"You are no daughter of mine...of mine...of mine..." The voice echoed through my  
head as I ran through the rain. Choking back a sob, I gripped my sword tighter and  
continued running, not knowing where to go, but just knowing that I just had to run. Suddenly,  
I tripped and fell face down into the mud. This was too much for me, and I finally broke  
down crying. "I HATE YOU ALL!" I screamed futilely through my tears, and angrily beat  
my fists on the ground. "I...hate...you...all..." Curling up miserably into a ball, I  
cried myself to sleep.  
  
later  
  
"Who is this girl?"  
  
"Chang Reiming, of the Dragon clan. She ran away."  
  
"Ran away from home now, did she?"  
  
"Yes...worthless girl child! Of course, the patriarch has already spread word that  
she will be disowned, of course...Can't have insubordinate females go unpunished, now can  
we?"  
  
"Disowned by the Dragon clan? Dragon clan..."  
  
At the sound of the voices, I wearily opened one eye. I could barely discern two  
figures standing above me. One seemed to be a local merchant, the other was wearing foreign  
clothes that I had never seen before. As soon as I stirred, the two figures stared down at  
me.  
  
"So if she is disowned, it doesn't matter if she simply disappears, right?"  
  
"Of course not! She may as well be dead."  
  
The figure in foreign clothes nodded, and he removed some money from his pocket. "You never  
saw me," he muttered quietly. The merchant nodded, and quickly walked away. That done, the  
man looked down at me and quickly jabbed me with a needle. The last thing I remembered before  
I fell asleep was being dragged to my feet and being carried away.  
  
several hours later  
  
"Ugh..."  
  
I opened my eyes wearily, completely disoriented. "Where...where AM I?" Looking around, I  
seemed to be in a large room with hundreds of other children. "Is this an orphanage?"  
After my head stopped spinning, I climbed to my feet, then realized with horror that my  
sword was gone.  
  
"Are you looking for this?"  
  
Quickly, I turned around. Standing in front of me was a round faced girl with wide eyes, and  
with braided hair in loops. She wore Asian clothes, just like me, and she was holding two  
swords, one of which was mine.  
  
"Yes...that is my sword..."  
  
The girl smiled shyly and gave it back to me. "You were out cold, and some boys wanted to take  
it. I convinced them otherwise," and she brandished her own sword, giggling. I smiled thinly.  
"What is your name?" she asked. "I'm Ron Meilai."  
  
"My name is...my name is...Lillith," I stammered, spitting out the first name that I  
thought of. "Lillith? But...aren't you Asian?"  
  
"Well yes...I'm Chinese, but I was given a foreign name," I lied. Even though this  
girl seemed friendly, I wasn't about to take my chances; I had been taught to be wary, and  
I did not like the situation I was in right now. "So, where are we?"  
  
At that, Meilai's smile vanished. "I...I don't know, but I don't like it. I haven't been here  
any longer than you have, really...maybe only and hour or so more. Anyway, be on your guard."  
  
I nodded. "Of course. Are you a fighter too?"  
  
Meilai smiled proudly. "I'm a member of the Ron clan. My older sister is the great Ron  
Meiran. She is the betrothed of Chang Wufei, of the Dragon clan. It is a great...honor to be  
her sister," she finished uncertainly, speaking as if she had memorized a script. But at the  
moment, I wasn't thinking too much of that. "Dragon clan...Wufei..." I thought to myself, then  
forced it out of my head. "No! I don't want to think about it!"  
  
"Think about what?"  
  
Oh. Great. Just great; I'd said that last part out loud. I just shook my head. "It's  
nothing."   
  
Just then, a door opened, and everyone turned around expectantly. Stepping out from the  
shadows were two men, one old and one fairly young...but both with equally cold eyes. Next to  
me, Meilai gripped my arm uncertainly as I watched them with narrowed eyes; I did not like nor  
trust either of them. "Everyone, form two lines!" the old one barked.  
  
"Why?" a young boy called out. "Why should we listen to you, old man?"  
  
At this, the old man's eyes glistened, and he walked up to the boy. "Boy, my name is Meyer  
Himmler, and this is why you should listen," and he pulled out a pistol and shot the boy in the  
head.  
  
Immediately, all activity ceased. Everyone stared in horror at the dead boy on the ground.  
Several started to cry, but silently. Next to me, Meilai gripped by arm so tightly I thought  
that she would bruise it. "Form two lines," the younger man said coldly. "Now."  
  
Everyone hurried to do as they said. Meilai and I headed towards the line closer to the  
younger man who had just spoken. "Let go of my arm," I hissed. "They'll think that you're  
weak!" Meilai nodded, and immediately let go and held her head high. I did the same, though,  
as we passed the body, I felt like throwing up. Resolutely, we stood in line and waited.  
Finally, the two men nodded and barked out, "Follow us."  
  
The two monsters led us outside to a field, where they separated us into fours. Meilai and I  
were put with another boy and another girl. Himmler pulled out a stop watch, and ordered the  
first quartet to run. Next to him, Atkins recorded some numbers. When it was our turn, I  
whispered to Meilai, "Run as fast as you can." She nodded, and the two of us easily outdistanced  
are other two partners. When we stopped and came back, we noticed that the two were   
scrutinizing us and muttering. "I hope that's a good thing," Meilai whispered, trying to move  
her lips as little as possible.  
  
that evening  
  
After the run, all of us milled around uncertainly. The dead boy's body had long been removed,  
though the place where he had lain was conspicuously unoccupied. Finally, Himmler came back.  
"Those who I call out, come with me!" he snarled, and began calling out names. When he  
was done, at least a hundred boys and girls were obedientely standing in front of him. At his  
nod, all of them filed out.  
  
After he left, the other man came in. "I am Rolf Atkins," he said. "From now on, your lives  
are in the hands of Himmler and me. Is that understood?" It wasn't a question; it was a  
statement, and we all nodded our heads mutely. "Good," he said. "Now, follow me."  
  
The rest of us followed Atkins out, and we were separated into fours once again, though  
Meilai and I both noticed that our previous partners were gone. Then, we were each sent into  
a room with four cots...and not much else. "Breakfast tomorrow is at seven. Don't be late,"  
Atkins said, and left.   
  
I vowed to be up at six.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's note: Special thanks to Sara, for her feedback on my last story:)  
  
Chapter Two  
  
~*Meilai*~  
  
SMACK  
  
WHISH  
  
THUMP  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
I sat on the hard ground, where I had landed, rather unceremoniously, and glared up  
angrily at the smug expression on my older sister's face. "You're so pathetic," she sneered.  
  
"Oh shut up Meiran. You're only a year older than I am!"  
  
My sister's eyes bulged. "The name is NATAKU!" she snarled, swinging at sword at me in an  
effort to make me flinch. I rolled my eyes. "Now THAT is pathetic," I sang out.  
  
SLAP  
  
"Ow!" I yelped, holding my cheek. Meiran laughed in my face. "You baby, you're  
lucky to be MY little sister. Elsewise, you'd be useless!"  
  
I rolled my eyes again. "How stupid. You think you're so cool, well, you're not! Big deal,  
so you're betrothed to some guy named Wufei, who you've never even met! At least I'LL be able  
to pick who I get to marry, unlike you!" Leaping to my feet, I continued to taunt her. "I  
bet he's some ugly boy with cooties that's really mean and nasty and yucky, just like all boys  
are!"  
  
As Meiran dashed forward to hit me again, I dodged her. Laughing, I continued. "And you know  
what? I'll bet that he's a way better fighter than you, and once you two are married, all  
he's going to do is control you and lord over you and boss you around! And you...can't...do...  
a...thing, so HA!"  
  
"Take that back!" Meiran snarled, still lunging at me.  
  
"Oh no I won't! You'll have to make me!" I said gleefully. "Oh yeah, and HE won't  
call you Nataku, 'cause it's a stupid name anyway and you're just a girl, and he doesn't  
have to listen to you. Hee hee! A stupid name for a stupid person!"  
  
By this time, Meiran was nearly blind with rage. "You little brat!" she screeched. "I'll  
show you!"  
  
Meiran continued to chase me around as I continued to laugh, relishing the fact that since I  
was somewhat smaller than her, I could dodge her easily. I continued to run as she chased me  
along a ravine. "Ha ha! You're too slow!" I started to say, but suddenly, the ground by my  
foot gave way. "What?!"  
  
"Meilai!" Meiran shouted, her eyes wide with terror and our arguement forgotten.  
"Watch out!"  
  
It was too late, and the ground completely crumbled. Screaming, I slid down towards the  
rushing river below. "Meiran, help me!" I cried, nearly petrified with fear.   
  
Meiran ran towards me and grabbed my hand. "Don't let go of me!" I cried, tears running down  
my face. "I won't!" she cried, crying also. But she was only a six year old girl, and I was  
only a five year old girl, and soon, my hand slipped out of hers. "MEILAI!!!" Meiran screamed  
as I tumbled down and fell into the river.  
  
later...  
  
I shifted around, and pain shot through me. "What...happened...?"  
  
I was washed up on the bank, and someone was standing over me. "What, I only got one?!" it  
said, disgusted. It bent down towards me and snorted. "Huh, it's the younger one too. Well,  
better than nothing," it muttered, and threw me over its shoulder and walked away.  
  
several hours later  
  
I had long gained consciousness, and was looking around at my surroudings: a large room that had  
been fairly empty a while ago, but was now filled with children. The one who had carried me  
here, a fairly young man with steely eyes, was looking around the room with a disgusted  
expression on his face. After he had dumped on the floor, he had tossed my sword at me,  
which had also been washed up with me, and had left. More and more children were brought in  
by him and another man, this one old and ugly. Finally, the steady stream stopped. But then,  
the old man came back once more, this time with a girl my age who was unconscious. But still,  
even as she was out cold, she was maintaining a tight grip on a very impressive sword.  
  
"What? One more? We only need two hundred," the young man said coldly.  
  
"This girl is a member of the..." and the old man leaned towards the other man and  
whispered something in his ear. The younger man's eyes widened, and he nodded. "Fine, last  
one then," and the old man dropped her on the floor with a thud. She groaned slightly, and  
her grip relaxed somewhat.  
  
Nearby, some boys were staring at her sword. Finally, one crept closer and tried to take it.  
"Stay back!" I snapped, moving in and drawing my own sword. The boy sneered at me, "Try and  
stop me."  
  
"I will," I shot back, and when he lunged, I tripped him and flung him back towards his  
friends, bowling them all over. They all stared at me. "Beat it!" I snarled. I turned back  
around to the girl and carefully tugged away her sword. I figured that when she woke up, I'd  
give it back, but for the time being, it was safer with me.  
  
Sure enough, the girl woke up ten minutes later, and the first thing she did was look for her  
sword. I gave it back to her and introduced myself. "I'm...Lillith," she stammered,  
her eyes darting around. "Where are we?"  
  
I knew no better and told her so. Then, the old man came back and ordered us to form two  
lines. When the boy who had tried to steal Lillith's sword refused, he shot and killed him.  
I nearly fainted at that sight, and held onto Lillith's arm so tightly that later, I thought I  
probably could have broken it. But Lillith was obviously trained to be a fighter, and she  
maintained a stoic mask, staring at the old man, Himmler, with narrowed eyes, sizing him up and  
down.   
  
After that unpleasant episode, we were taken outside and separated into fours, and then forced  
to run while we were timed. "Run as fast as you can," Lillith whispered, without moving her  
mouth, so we did. Lillith ran like a gazelle; she was as fast as Meiran, if not even  
faster. I managed to keep up with her, though I was a little out of breath. Afterwards,   
Himmler and the other man were studying us. "I hope that's a good thing," I muttered  
to Lillith, talking the same way she had earlier, not moving my lips. She nodded grimly.  
  
Finally, we were taken back to the room, and at least half of the children were led out of the  
room by Himmler. Later, Atkins, the younger man, came back and separated us into fours once   
again. Lillith and I remained together, though we were paired with two different people than   
before. Glancing at Lillith, I knew she had noticed it too. We were taken to a room with four   
cots, and told that breakfast would be served tomorrow at seven. I promised myself that I would   
get up at six, and looking at Lillith out of the corner of my eye, I could tell she was probably   
thinking the same.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
~Reiming~  
  
Though I had promised myself to be up at six, I was up at five. I had not had a very good rest  
the night before. Everytime I closed my eyes, I saw the dead boy on the floor, and I would  
immediately wake up, sweating. Finally, at five, I decided that I probably wasn't going to  
get much more rest as it was, and I got up.  
  
My feet had hardly touched the floor when Meilai jumped up also, eyes wide. "Sleep well?" I  
asked somewhat sarcastically. Her mouth twitched. "What do you think?"  
  
I shrugged. "Guess I had that one coming." Meilai smiled. "Let's wash up and get ready then."  
  
"Okay, but let's be quiet."  
  
The two of us crept towards the bathroom in the corner of the room. We both used the toilet,  
discretely closing the cover instead of flushing it, since we didn't want to wake anyone up, and  
we washed our faces and rinsed out our mouths. When we finished, it was 5:30, and our  
room mates still hadn't gotten up yet. Meilai turned to me.  
  
"Should we wake them up?"  
  
I shrugged. "Let's leave them alone for now," I said. Then I asked, "So...now what do we  
do?" I said, trying to keep the quiver out of my voice.  
  
Meilai's eyes filled with tears. "I...I don't know," she whimpered. I sighed; it certainly  
wouldn't help to cry; that was one thing I had certainly been taught well...Finally, in a burst  
of boldness, I straightened my shoulders and said, "I'll go out and see what's going on."  
  
"Be careful!"  
  
"I know..."  
  
I headed for the door, feeling that I was heading towards a funeral. Finally, I carefully  
gripped the doorknob and turned it.   
  
"It's unlocked!" I said, surprised.  
  
"Should we try to run for it?"  
  
"...No...They're probably watching us somehow. Let's wait a little longer."  
  
The two of us sat there for a long time, neither of us saying much. Finally, I said, "Why do  
I get the feeling that we've been kidnapped?"  
  
"I...I've been thinking the same...What will happen to us?"  
  
"Well...I'm sure your parents will look for you, right?"  
  
Meilai hesitated. "I...I don't think so..."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"I fell into a river. They probably think that I'm dead."  
  
I felt the air rush out of me. "You know," I said slowly, "I'm a runaway. I've probably been  
disowned by now, so they won't miss me. But don't you think that it's just a little bit  
weird how you're supposedly dead, and I'm disowned, so I may as well be dead?"  
  
Meilai's eyes widened as she understood what I was saying. "Do you think...they took us on  
purpose? Because we wouldn't be missed?" Then she gasped. "I remember something! When I  
washed up on the river, I heard Atkins say that 'he only got one,' like he had planned it all!  
Like he had purposely made it so I would be thought of as dead and not missing."  
  
I groaned and put my head in my hands. "Then...that means...we have no escape then," I said  
dully. "There's no way out..."  
  
Meilai looked like she was on the verge of tears. "I want to go home!" she cried. "I don't..."  
I muttered, but quietly, so she wouldn't hear me. Then to distract her, I said, "Look...it's  
6:45. Should we go out and try to find wherever breakfast is?"  
  
Meilai nodded and blinked back her tears. "I won't cry I won't cry I won't cry," I heard her  
mutter to herself. I went to the door and opened it. Instantly, I saw the barrel of a gun in  
my face. "Where do you think you're going?" a voice said coldly.  
  
"I...I..."  
  
"Leave them alone," a voice called, and Himmler strode down the hallway. "These two  
have been up since five in the morning, and they could have left at around 5:30, but they  
didn't."  
  
Behind me, I heard Meilai gasp at that, though I didn't turn around, since the gun was still  
about an inch from my face.  
  
At her gasp, Himmler smiled cruelly. "Yes little girl," he said, addressing me, "we ARE   
watching you. We saw every move you two made. Now, where ARE you two going?"  
  
"We...didn't want...to be late...to breakfast," I choked, still staring at the gun.  
Himmler frowned at me. "Put away that gun!" he barked to the soldier. "And you," he sneered,  
and smacked me on the head. "Stop that pathetic stuttering. Now, where were you two going?"  
  
"We didn't want to be late for breakfast, sir," I added, hoping not to sound overly  
eager, but not wanting to be shot either. Himmler smirked at the sound of my sir. "Very well  
then...You two brats have passed the first test. But as for your little friends..." and he  
turned to the soldier. "Shoot them both," he said coldly. The soldier obliged willingly, and  
we couldn't help but stare at the two limp bodies lying in the cots. Himmler laughed. "Now  
you two, follow me." 


	2. Part Two: Souls Destroyed; New Identitie...

Chapter Four  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
After Himmler had ordered our room mates to be shot, I felt like fainting, but somehow, I guess  
I managed to mutely follow Lillith and Himmler out of the room. Himmler led us down the  
hallway, and then into a large eating hall. We were the only ones there so far, but soon,  
Atkins came with several more children. We all sat stiffly at the tables, and judging by some  
of the horrified expressions on the others faces, I had a feeling their room mates had been  
shot also.  
  
Lillith in the meanwhile was looking around the room and moving her fingers. "What are you  
doing?" I whispered.  
  
"Counting. Do you know how many of us there were yesterday?"  
  
"Um...201."  
  
"201?"  
  
"Yeah...you were the extra 'one.'"  
  
Lillith nodded and continued. Finally, she said, "87."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
She nodded wearily. "101 were eliminated yesterday; that leaves 100. Now there are thirteen  
less. Therefore...87. Over half of us are already gone; there is only...forty...three percent  
left."  
  
"Wow...you're good with numbers."  
  
She smiled ruefully. "I've been trained to be a fighter, scholar, and musician for as long as  
I can remember. Is that the same with you?"  
  
"Yes...how did you know?"  
  
"Who hasn't heard of the Ron clan?"  
  
I laughed, but quietly. "Well then, what clan are you from?"  
  
Lillith hesitated. "I have no clan. I've been disowned, remember?" then set her mouth in a  
firm line. I gave up asking.  
  
Soon, Himmler and Atkins and several others came into the room with several bowls of oatmeal  
and started passing them out. Lillith and I stared at ours. I noticed her hesitation, and I  
whispered to her in Chinese, "You think it's poisoned, don't you?" She nodded. I frowned, then  
said, "I have an idea." I waited for the boy sitting next to me to take several bites of his  
oatmeal, and the girl next to Lillith to do the same. When neither of them seemed to keel over,  
I quickly spooned some of oatmeal and some of Lillith's, then I indicated to Lillith to copy  
what I would do. Turning to the boy next to me, I hissed, "Hey, is that a spider?" The  
boy quickly turned to look, and I dumped my spoonful into his empty spoon. "I don't see  
anything," he frowned. In the meantime, Lillith said to the girl next to her, "Look, the  
spider's over there!" When she turned to look, Lillith did the same. Finally, the girl  
turned back. "Where?" "Oh, it must have run away," Lillith said breezily. The girl shrugged,  
and ate a spoonful of Lillith's oatmeal. The boy on my side did the same with mine. Then  
we sat and waited.  
  
After a few minutes, nothing had happened, so we were about to start eating. Suddenly, on the  
other side of the room, a girl collapsed. Several others began falling down onto the floor  
also. The boy next to me also fell. We all stared, and several shrieked. I stared down at  
my oatmeal. "Er...could I share some of yours?" I asked Lillith weakly. She nodded, her face  
pale.  
  
After that unpleasant episode, the bodies were removed and we were all taken out to a field,  
where we were all separated. I looked franctically at Lillith. "I don't want us to be  
separated," I wailed, trying not to whine. She twitched the corners of her mouth, trying to  
smile, but not quite succeeding. "It's okay," she whispered. "Just be brave."  
  
I was led into an empty room, given a number (4) and then left alone. Soon, a soldier came in   
and handed me a box. "Take a piece of paper," he said. I did, and looked at it. It said: 17.   
"That is your opponent," he said tonelessly, and left. After he left, I figured that I was   
probably going to have to fight someone, and so I started to stretch. Later, the door opened and  
Atkins appeared. "Follow me," he ordered, and I did, and was led to a field, where everyone   
else was. I immediately found Lillith and attached myself to her. "Who is your opponent?" she  
whispered.  
  
"Number 17."  
  
"I know her," she whispered, and pointed. I nearly fainted: I was staring at a girl  
who was nearly twice my height. Lillith smiled. "Don't worry; see how tall she is? Duck  
around her blows and wear her out."  
  
I tried to smile. "Who is your opponent?" I asked. Lillith pointed to another girl. "49,"  
she said. "She doesn't look like much," I said, trying to sound brave. Lillith shrugged,  
sizing her up and down. "She's built like me; she may fight the same way as I do."  
  
Before we could say anything else, Himmler began to speak (bark). "Number one and your  
opponent, step up to the front." At that, two boys stepped up and were handed two fencing  
foils. "You have five minutes," Himmler barked. "Now, fight."  
  
The two boys stared at each other. "Did you not hear what I said?!" Himmler roared. "Start  
fighting!"  
  
Finally, the two began to spar. However, it wasn't much of a fight, since it was obvious  
neither of them had any experience with a sword whatsoever. After about two minutes, Atkins  
stepped in, disgusted. "That's enough!" he snarled. "Next!"  
  
After a few more equally pathetic fights, it was my turn. I clutched my sword protectively; I  
wasn't too sure if I was willing to give it up; then again, I certainly didn't want to die  
either. But Atkins simply looked at me, smirked, and said, "Since this one already seems to  
have her own weapon, let her keep it."  
  
The girl and I circled each other. Judging from the expression on the other girl's face, I  
could tell that she did not think that I was much of an opponent, so I lunged to gain the  
element of surprise. I'm not too sure who was more surprised, her or me, when my sword went  
clean through her. We stared at each other, horrified, then the other girl slumped forward,  
dead.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
~Reiming~  
  
I can never forget the expression on Meilai's face when she impaled the other girl with her  
sword, killing her. All activity had instantly ceased; all were focused on Meilai, her  
sword dripping with blood, and the dead girl. I sneaked a glance at Himmler and Atkins, then  
turned away, disgusted. The expression on their faces was one of glee, of delight. "What  
monsters!" I thought, disgusted and horrified. Finally, Atkins spoke, "Next," he said  
cooly, as if little girls killing each other was commonplace. No one moved for a moment, then  
I realized that I was next, and stepped forward dumbly. Meilai hadn't moved from her spot; she  
looked like she was about to faint or throw up, or maybe both. Taking her arm, I gently  
steered her out of the way and back into the crowd, where everyone backed away from her. Then,  
I turned to face my opponent, and recoiled.  
  
The look in the other girl's eyes was dangerous, ruthless. It was clear that she had fought  
before, and had probably killed many also. At that moment, I knew. I knew that I would be   
fighting for my life in this battle. "Start!" Himmler called out.  
  
The girl immediately lunged. I danced out of the way, holding out my sword and keeping her at  
bay. She lunged again, swinging wildly and nearly hitting me. I still didn't strike back;  
instead, I circled her and watched her. Soon, it became evident that though she certainly was  
a good fighter, she had no experience with the sword; however, her wild swinging was still  
dangerous. I would have to disarm her. The next time she lunged, I brought up my sword and  
with a flick of the wrist, knocked her sword away. Then, I jumped at her and rammed my  
shoulder into her, knocking her back fifteen feet. She was defeated, and I turned around to  
leave. Suddenly, Himmler blocked my path.  
  
"You're not finished," he said. I stared at him, confused. Giving me a horrible  
smile, he handed me a gun. "Finish it," he said coldly. I stared at the gun in my hand, then  
I slowly turned around and pointed it at the girl. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to get  
away. "I'm...sorry," I whispered, and I squeezed the trigger. Later, as I bent over the  
dead girl's body and stared into her blank eyes, I saw that my own eyes were as dead as hers.  
  
later...  
  
Meilai and I sat in our room, silent. Neither of us had said a word after the whole dueling  
business was over. After it was done, only forty children remained out of the original 201.  
Some had succumbed to the poison in the oatmeal; others had died fighting. I sneaked a   
glance at Meilai, and saw that her eyes were as dead as mine. It was strange; we had only  
been here a day and already it seemed like an eternity. I could barely remember myself as the  
girl who loved to sing and play and tease her older brother.  
  
"I'm dead," I whispered to myself. "Chang Reiming is no more...I am Lillith, the cold  
blooded, ruthless killer..."  
  
Suddenly, Meilai jumped up and ran for the toilet, where she promptly began to throw up. I  
left her alone and let her finish. After five long minutes, she stopped and promptly began to  
sob. "Stop that," I said coldly. "It is a sign of weakness."  
  
Meilai looked at me with a tear stained face. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I...I can't deal  
with this...I'm not a killer, I'm NOT!" she said franctically, shouting the last word. I  
looked at her with blank eyes. "You are now..." I said dully. "Our fates are sealed..."  
  
We wallowed in our misery and self pity for a couple more minutes, and then Atkins appeared in  
the doorway. "Both of you, come here!" he ordered. Wordlessly, we got up and stood in front  
of him. He glared at us for a few seconds, then, raising his saber, hit us both hard with the  
flat side several times. We looked at him with weary eyes.  
  
"Stop looking like that!" he sneered. "Himmler and I can't stand weak people, and only  
weak people look like that! If I ever catch either of you two looking like that again, I swear  
I will kill you with my own hands!"  
  
After that tirade, I straightened, as did Meilai, and without a backwards glance, we walked out  
into the hall with our heads held high. Atkins glared at us, but didn't say a word, and   
herded us down the hall and into a room, where the other 38 children were.  
  
We were separated into two groups of twenty; I went with one group and Meilai went with the  
other. I was told to go into a side room last, so I sat and waited. Finally, I was called in.  
  
Inside was Himmler, and in front of him was a computer.  
  
"Congratulations Reiming," he sneered. "You've survived the first part of Operation:  
Natural Selection. You ought to be proud."  
  
I looked at him, and I said, "Who is Reiming? My name is Lillith. Chang Reiming is dead."  
  
Himmler stared at me, then he began to chuckle evilly. "Yes, I knew you were a special one  
when I saw you. Lillith now, is it?" and he typed something into the computer. "There," he  
announced with satisfaction, and turned the screen towards me. On it was my profile: "name,"  
date of birth, fingerprints, DNA, blood type, and etc. "Your training will commence tomorrow,"  
he said. "In the meantime..." and he shoved a laptop at me. "This will be yours. On it is the  
document regarding Operation: Natural Selection, and various other programs. Learn to  
use it well."  
  
I took the computer and started to leave, but Himmler grabbed onto me. "Don't disappoint me,  
Lillith," he hissed. "Atkins and I have a little wager, and if you disappoint me, you won't  
live to regret it!"  
  
Chapter Six  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
After the fight, Lillith and I sat in some sort of stupor. It was the first time either of us  
had had to really harm another being, let alone kill. I didn't know about Lillith, but just  
killing a spider had been hard enough for me, but after what I had just done, killing a spider  
seemed like nothing.  
  
However, even after I had impaled the other girl, it still did not prepare me for what Lillith  
did. Though I hardly knew her, Lillith hardly struck me as the type of girl who would  
intentionally kill someone in cold blood, but she did. After she had shot the girl, she  
walked back slowly, as if she were day dreaming. Now that I look back, I'm a little surprised  
at how I hardly reacted. Unlike the rest of the children, who were now staring at the two of  
us with fear, I simply looked at her. Her eyes were flat and dull, and, as I stared at my  
reflection in her eyes, I could tell that my eyes mirrored hers.  
  
Despite all that, I guess the abrupt transition from "girl-who-can't-even-kill-a-spider" to  
"girl-who-just-impaled-someone" was still too much for me, and after some time in the room the  
two of us shared, I ran to the toilet and threw up for five minutes straight. "You're being  
weak," Lillith called out dully as I sobbed. However, deep down, I knew she was right. Tears  
had no place in the world we now belonged to, and I vowed that I would never cry again.  
  
Later, we joined the other 38 children in a large room (after Atkins smacked us several times  
for being "weak") and were separated into two groups of twenty. Lillith and I were separated,  
but at the moment, I hardly noticed. I went to a large room with 19 others, and sat and  
waited as each of them were called into a room. Finally, it was my turn.  
  
I went into the room and stood in front of Atkins. "Congratulations on surviving the first part  
of Operation: Natural Selection, Veylona," he barked.  
  
The name cut through my stupor. "Veylona? You...you are mistaken. I am Meilai."  
  
Atkins narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Are you challenging me?" he growled, his hand moving to  
his pistol. "It says here that Veylona survived. I see no Meilai. Now, I ask you again, what  
is your name?"  
  
Well, I certainly wasn't stupid enough to disagree. "I am Veylona. I am a girl with no past; I  
am someone you found on the streets, and I am fortunate to have been taken in by you," I said  
stiffly, fabricating a story.  
  
Atkins smiled dangerously. "Very good, Veylona. Let us forget that temporary lapse in  
memory, now, shall we? Good, good," and he shoved a laptop at me. "There are various pieces  
of information on that thing. Your training shall begin tomorrow."  
  
As I turned to leave, he said, "And for your sake, you'd better be a quick study."  
  
"Yes...sir," I whispered, and quickly left.  
  
later...  
  
It was several hours later, after dinner. Of course, all 40 of us had stared suspiciously at  
our dinners, but Himmler and Atkins waved their guns around and said that we were being  
stupid; they wouldn't kill us so early, so we ate, expecting at any moment to fall over, dead.  
  
After that, we were told to come to breakfast on our own accord tomorrow at seven, and we  
were dismissed. Lillith and I went back to our room quickly. As soon as she set foot in the  
room, she started up her computer and began to study it.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
She waved a hand at the screen. "Reading this thing," she said, pointing to a document that  
said, "Operation: Natural Selection."  
  
I followed her example and did the same. After I was done, I heard Lillith mutter to herself.  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
"Hmm what?"  
  
"Hmm as in I want to survive, no matter what," she said vehemently. Her tone startled  
me.   
  
"Lillith...what are you saying?"  
  
"Look Meilai, I just killed for the first time in my life. I've just thrown away my  
soul. I may as well go all out," she said flatly.  
  
I understood. "So...how should we, ah, start?"  
  
Lillith stood up. Her eyes darted around the room. "Aha," she muttered, and pointed. I looked  
and saw what she was pointing at. "Oh...the camera."  
  
Lillith nodded. "Exactly. I'm going to dismantle it."  
  
"WHAT?! Himmler and Atkins will kill you!"  
  
"No, they won't."  
  
That threw me off. "Why not?"  
  
"You read yourself that they want to train the 'Perfect Soldiers.' Well, the Perfect  
Soldier must not only be a skilled fighter, but experienced in espionage, among other things, and  
espionage involves technology, and that camera," she said, gesturing, "is technology. We'd  
better learn what it's made of."  
  
"But that still doesn't mean that they won't kill you."  
  
She shrugged fatalistically. "Do I have choice? I've got to survive. I have no heart any more,  
I'm just an animal, and animals fight to survive."  
  
Lillith said this all in a blank tone of voice, and she went up and tugged the camera down.  
I held my breath, expecting at any moment for the door to come crashing open, but it didn't, so  
Lillith came over, sat down, and started taking it apart. Then she opened something on the  
computer and began inputting data. Soon, she had a decent analysis of how the camera  
was designed.  
  
I watched her, and smiled. "Well then, that camera can't be the only thing in here. Let's see  
how many we can find." Lillith glanced up, surprised, and smiled. "Bet you I can find more  
than you can," she challenged, smiling, though her smile did not, nor ever would, reach her  
eyes. "You're on," I said grimly.  
  
Within thirty minutes, we had combed the room and found ten detection devices. We stared at  
them.   
  
"Do you even know what this is?" she asked, picking one up.  
  
"No clue...Let's find out."  
  
And so the evening continued. I took five and she took five, and we put the data on the  
computers. Then we exchanged it, and tweaked around with each other's designs. At around  
midnight, we were done. We stared at our data, smug.  
  
"Not bad for a few hours work, eh?" I said.  
  
Lillith nodded, satisfied. "Not bad at all," she asserted. Then she yawned. "But let's go to  
sleep now Meilai. We don't want to be late tomorrow."  
  
I agreed. "Good night, Lillith," I called, then stopped. "One more thing, who is Meilai? My  
name is Veylona."  
  
Lillith understood instantly. "Sorry, my mistake. Good night, Veylona."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Whew! So, what do you think so far? Please send me some feedback! Oh yeah, and feel free to  
comment on my other story as well!:)  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
~Reiming~  
  
And so life continued. Himmler and Atkins were true to their word: no more poison appeared in  
our food, and we weren't forced to fight to the death with anyone. Instead, we were trained in  
martial arts, how to handle arms, how to hack into computers, and various other skills. However,  
I knew, as did Veylona, that this peace could not last, so we prepared.  
  
Veylona and I agreed that to survive, we would have to join forces. So instead of just doing  
our daily activities, Veylona and I did extra. I managed to find several sources on how to  
detect and make various poisons, and I managed to perfect the art of outwitting security  
systems, whether they be cameras or locks or keypads, and obtaining information and getting out  
of there as fast as I could. A game of ours involved my changing the images security cameras  
caught, and then Veylona changing them back. Veylona perfected the art of making explosives, and  
she learned to make small and original weapons that could be concealed, whether they be poison   
tipped pens or switchblades to be concealed under long sleeves. Both of us taught ourselves to   
design programs, and we fine tuned them by giving them to the other to crack. We also made our  
own cameras, microphones, and pressure sensors.  
  
I'm still not really too sure if Himmler and Atkins were aware of our little escapades;   
regardless, they left us alone. Finally, Veylona and I decided to infiltrate Himmler and  
Atkins' quarters and find out what would happen. So one afternoon, AC 190, after extensive  
planning, I decided to try to sneak into Himmler and Atkins' private quarters.  
  
It was late afternoon, and several of us were going in groups outside to practice our  
shooting. As everyone milled around, I carefully separated from the crowd and ran down the  
various hallways. I had memorized the pathway the night before using the images I had  
downloaded from the security cameras using a program Veylona and I had designed together.  
  
I ran quickly down the hallways, pressing myself along the sides in the shadows when I had to and  
changing the security camera images. Eventually, I reached the door. I quickly removed a  
microphone I had hidden in my hair, which I had started braiding the sides of, and a small  
pair of headphones, and worked the microphone into the crack.  
  
At first I got static, but then eventually, I could hear the two.   
  
"It's been four years," Atkins said crossly. "I'm tired of feeding forty brats."  
  
"Agreed. Let's initiate the next part," Himmler said.  
  
"How many should we eliminate this time?"  
  
"At least half. We could do the one on one combat again."  
  
"That will do it. Then it's agreed: we have them face each other and fight to the   
death."  
  
"But there is also the issue of those two girls."  
  
At least, my heart nearly stopped. Atkins said, "True true, is that Lillith girl still your  
favorite?"  
  
"Just as Veylona is yours?"  
  
Atkins laughed coldly. "Naturally. Those two show much more potential than the rest of this  
miserable lot. Haven't you seen them teach themselves all those skills? At ages nine and ten,   
they are probably as skilled as our soldiers. But, they are also potential problems," he  
added. "I can still remember one of them finding and dismantling one of our cameras right  
after we had completed the first phase of our plan."  
  
"That would be Lillith. But Veylona is equally dangerous. She has stockpiled an  
impressive supply of arms, ranging from minor explosives to various blades of different size.  
And both have been practicing hacking. I wonder if they have been able to hack into OUR  
computers..."  
  
"Even if they have, it doesn't matter. Remember, they ARE still children. They are  
still at our mercy...and they fear us. That will work to our advantage."  
  
At this, I had had enough. I had been there for about five minutes; I had heard enough.  
Quickly, I ran back to the rest of the group. As Veylona and I practiced shooting, I whispered  
to her in Chinese, "One on one, coming up. 50% cut." Veylona nodded, her eyes not moving from  
her target.  
  
That evening, we held a quick conference after we had gone through the room looking for  
microphones. Not finding any, I quickly told Veylona what I had heard. "They have a general  
idea of what we are doing," I said, "but not all of it. They know about your weapons, and my  
skill for making detection devices, and our hacking, but not our programs, or my...other  
weapons.  
  
Veylona raised an eyebrow. "...Biological...weapons?" she asked.  
  
"In a way. Cyanide, hydrochloric acid, other poisons, and this," I finished,  
producing a few vials. "Truth serum that I really hope works, and some stimulants and  
depressants."  
  
"I have blades with poison vials inserted in them, explosives, even poison tipped  
arrows with blowpipes, switchblades, etc."  
  
We mentally reviewed our arsenal. Finally, I said in a flat voice, "Well then, shall we  
begin our own little Operation: Natural Selection?"  
  
"Yes. Tomorrow, cyanide in the food, explosives in the rooms, and poison tipped  
needles in the beds," Veylona said. "Let the games begin."  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
After Lillith's success in finding out what Himmler and Atkins were planning, we decided to  
act out our own little plan on eliminating competition. We had already come to terms a long  
time ago that we would have to resort to subterfuge and yes, killing others in order to make it  
out alive.  
  
The next day, early in the morning, before anyone was up, Lillith and I got up. Lillith took  
the cyanide pills that she had doctored, and I took my explosives. The plan was for Lillith  
to put the cyanide in the food, and my explosives into guns, so when they were fired, they  
would explode. With some of my help, Lillith managed to get past all the guards and security  
cameras (it's amazing what some sleeping pills in coffee and computers can do) and into the  
kitchen, where, as soon as the soldier/cook's back was turned, she dumped in the pills into the  
daily oatmeal. After she returned, I sneaked into the weapon supply room, and, with a device  
we had made, "tricked" the keypad and opened the door, where I deposited my cargo. I made  
mental marks of which ones I rigged, and we both returned to our room.  
  
At breakfast, we all took helpings of oatmeal to avoid suspicion, but instead of eating it, we  
would take spoonfuls and carefully spit it back out into napkins. After breakfast, we went to  
get our guns for practice.  
  
That's when the cyanide kicked in. Lillith had made sure to put only a small amount in, so that  
it would take more time to act. As we were getting our guns, at least seven dropped dead.   
Others got sick and vomited it back up. Lillith and I managed to hack up some chyme, just to  
avoid looking suspicious. But Himmler and Atkins didn't react to this, only gave orders that the  
bodies be removed.  
  
By this time, I think all of us were so used to death that we all hardly batted an eyelash as  
the seven were taken away. The guns, however, caused more confusion. I had only rigged five,  
and all five went off. When the smoke cleared, there were five more casualties. Of course, this  
definitely caused Himmler and Atkins to look suspicious, and they stared at us.  
  
"We're dead," Lillith muttered, but I said casually, "Oh no, we're not."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When they check the rooms, they will find some left over supplies in someone elses  
room, in a person's room that I know that they know has also been experimenting with   
explosives."  
  
Lillith glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, then twitched the corners of her mouth.  
"Well then," she murmured, "maybe we do have a chance after all."  
  
And somehow, we got away with it. The rooms were checked, but Lillith and I had already  
hidden away all of our supplies except for a few, since we knew that they knew we were  
experimenting with weapons. However, the incriminating evidence was gone...and in someone  
elses room. By lunch, two more were gone, bringing up the total to 14.  
  
"Six to go, in the very least," Lillith whispered. "Needles?"  
  
"Needles," I affirmed.  
  
That evening, before we went to bed, we took several poison tipped needles, and planted them in  
cots. We planted fifteen to be safe; ten worked. By the next morning, there were only 16 of  
the original 201 left, thanks to us.  
  
But even with this turnout, Himmler and Atkins still went ahead with their plan to have us  
fight to the death, so Lillith and I called another conference. This time, I was the one who  
had gone and eavesdropped.  
  
"In two days," I said. "In two days, there will be one more fight."  
  
Lillith nodded, thinking. "Of the 14 others, maybe five or six others are an actual threat,"  
she mused. She was of course referring to those who had been cautious enough to actually find  
the poisonous needles we had planted, and those that weren't stupid enough to use a gun they  
hadn't first examined or eaten excessive amounts of oatmeal, which was a food that was very easy  
to tamper with. "We need to be careful."  
  
I thought for a moment, then said, "Remember Hamlet? The poison tipped swords?"  
  
Lillith nodded. "But will we be using swords?" she asked.  
  
"Don't know, but it certainly wouldn't hurt."  
  
"True true. Okay, we'll do that then."  
  
And so for the next two days, we prepared. We practiced fighting with each other; we woke up  
early to run; we sharpened our swords; and of course, Lillith prepared a poison. Finally, the  
two days were over. We all walked out onto the field and drew our numbers.  
  
I was up first. Fortunately for me, I had no trouble with my opponent, and I finished him within  
a few minutes. Lillith, however, had more trouble.  
  
We had our first hint when she stepped out with her sword and began to fight...and the other  
girl knocked her sword away and took it. I swear, I had never seen Lillith get so angry.  
"You will not live to regret your mistake!" she snarled, brandishing the girl's own  
discarded weapon. "NO one touches that sword but me!"  
  
The girl was undaunted. "I bet you tipped your sword with poison," she taunted. "And now I  
have it, so you're mad!"  
  
Though it was technically true, Lillith rolled her eyes. "Idiot, that sword belongs to me, and  
no one touches it but me. Even if I DID use poison, I don't need it."  
  
"Oh, is that right?" she sneered, and lunged. Lillith moved out of the way quickly.  
"Yes, that is right," she said coldly. "Observe."  
  
And suddenly, a dagger appeared in her hand, one of the ones I had designed with poison in  
them that fits snugly against the arm and under the sleeve. "Eat this!" she snarled, and flung   
it.  
  
The girl was dead before she hit the ground. 


	3. Part Three: An End to the Bloodshed; Str...

Chapter Nine  
  
~Reiming~  
  
What can I say: anyone who takes my sword does not live to get away with it, as my opponent  
realized. After that rather short battle, I murmured to Veylona, "I'm sure glad you designed  
those." She smiled thinly. "You're welcome."  
  
Of course, the move I had made was also a risky one. Now it was obvious to the other six that  
Veylona and I, or at least just me, were extremely dangerous. It was possible that the other  
six would join forces to try to kill us.  
  
We found this out for a fact as we were going back to our rooms. For some reason, one boy was  
following. "You girls think you're so smart," he sneered. "Well, you guys will be the first to  
go!"  
  
Though both Veylona and I ignored him, we both glanced at each other, and we each made a mental  
reminder to watch out.  
  
The boy was still ranting and raving as we reached our room. I had gotten annoyed with him, and  
I had hurried ahead to our room. Suddenly, the watch I wore vibrated. Immediately my eyes  
narrowed and I turned around. "Why don't you just shut up already?!" I growled, pretending to  
be irritated, but the real purpose was to make eye contact with Veylona and gesture to my  
watch. Her eyes flickered to our room and down to my watch, which actually had a small  
infrared and radiation sensor in it. She turned casually to the boy. "So then...any particular  
reason that you are following us?"  
  
The boy sneered at us. "Me, of course not!" But the way he said it caused both of us to  
narrow our eyes. "Oh very sadistic of you," I thought. "Figures you'd follow to see us get   
blown to bits." The way his eyes lit up as I touched the door knob confirmed our suspicions;  
there was definitely a bomb in our room. Veylona nodded, and I grabbed the boy by the shirt.   
"Go...away...permanently!" I hissed, and shoved him into the door with so much force that he  
fell through the flimsy door...and triggered an explosion.  
  
When the smoke cleared, quite a crowd had gathered. "What happened here?!" Himmler demanded,  
shoving through the crowd. I gestured. "There WAS a bomb in here, but that problem has  
been remedied," I stated matter of factly.  
  
Atkins leaned in the doorway and saw the...remains...of the boy. "I see," he said simply.  
  
Veylona looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I could practically see her thinking, "One down,  
five to go."  
  
It was probably a good thing that we had, in a way, made an example of that boy. It proved to  
the five others that Veylona and I weren't to be trifled with. However, that did not prevent  
a gang of three from jumping us after dinner.  
  
I have to give them credit: they were quiet, and armed and certainly had planned well. However,  
Veylona and I did not spend our free time relaxing. When we weren't arming ourselves with  
weapons, we were practicing our sparring. After a brief scuffle which resulted in Veylona and  
I receiving a few knife slashes, the three were down. Two were down permanently, the third  
was still alive. Then I had idea.  
  
"Veylona, remember that truth serum?"  
  
Veylona stared, then chuckled, a cold laugh that was fairly similar to that of Himmler and  
Atkins. "Well then, here's a nice guinea pig."  
  
I removed the vial and a syringe and filled in, then jabbed it into him. However, he didn't  
move. "Well then," Veylona said, "we have problem."  
  
"Is that right?"  
  
"Still have the stimulant?"  
  
"Yes...but then he'll be too active."  
  
"Still have the depressant?"  
  
"Well...yes."  
  
So we injected him with that too. We managed to get some information out of him (they had some  
guns hidden; we retrieved those later, proving that the serum did work), but he was dead in  
about a minute, from drug overdose. "Oops," I muttered. Veylona glanced at me. "Oops, is it?"  
she said sardonically. I pretended to think for a moment. "Well, yeah, oops." This   
comment caused us both to convulse helplessly into laughter, but it wasn't because we were  
happy. Because at that moment, Veylona and I realized exactly how heartless we had become.  
  
But now it was down to four: Veylona and myself, and two other boys. At this, Himmler and  
Atkins stopped. I guess even for those two blood thirsty monsters, going from 201 to four in  
just four years was too much even for them. So they stopped, and called us in the next day.  
  
"You four are the final four," Himmler began. "Congratulations, you've made it."  
  
None of us said anything; by this time, emotions were fairly non existent.  
  
Himmler smirked at our lack of speech. "From this day on," he continued, "you four will  
undergo intensive training. By the time we are done with you, you will be the Perfect  
Soldiers, the perfect fighting machines. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes sir," we all muttered. Himmler nodded. "Then that is all. You two boys may  
leave with Atkins to begin your training at once; Lillith and Veylona, you two stay here."  
  
The two boys left, and Veylona and I stayed. Himmler leaned forward at us, and smiled an  
extremely unpleasant smile that was so vile that Veylona and I glanced at each other.  
  
"Ladies," he began in a silky voice, "you two will be 'mature' very, very, soon.  
Therefore, as soldiers, you two must be able to use that to your advantage. So, I'm afraid the  
first course of training you will undergo will be different than those of Phillipe and TJ.  
Willis! Richardson!"  
  
Immediately, two soldiers appeared. Himmler waved to us. "Teach these young ladies how to  
'use their charm.'" And with that, he left, leaving us to begin what we would call later our  
official beginning of life in hell.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
After four years of torture, it was understandable that Lillith and I lacked emotions.  
However, to this day, I can still remember being curled up in a fetal position on my cot,  
shaking violently. Lillith was not in better shape; she had not moved from her position from  
the toilet for the past ten minutes.  
  
What occurred after Himmler left was too horrible to write; however, be assured that it was  
easily the most traumatizing thing that had ever happened to both of us in those four years.  
Now that I think about it, I think that "relieving" some of their soldiers and "teaching us  
how to use our charm" were not the only motives that Himmler and Atkins had for subjecting us  
to that kind of torture. The fact was, Lillith and I were dangerous. Even though we were  
children, we had succeeded in wiping out nearly 20 people with little effort. By doing what  
they did to us, they completely crushed what little was left of our soul and resistance, and  
left empty shells.  
  
Of course, they didn't stop there. Though we did undergo actual training with the other two  
boys, Phillipe and TJ, we began to have nightly visits from various soldiers, and even from  
Himmler and Atkins themselves. They sent Phillipe and TJ once also, but Lillith and I  
weren't so defeated as to even allow them into our room, as they found out as we held two  
guns a fraction of a centimeter away from their heads.  
  
And so time passed. Eventually, it got to a point where Lillith and I couldn't stand it  
anymore, and delivered out harsh punishment to anyone who dared to try anything on us. It also  
got to the point that the possibility of pregnancy was very real, so Himmler and Atkins stopped  
visiting, as did the soldiers, although Willis in particular enjoyed jabbing us in places we  
did not appreciate as we passed each other in the hallways.  
  
It was now AC 195. I was fourteen, and Lillith was fifteen. The two of us, along with Phillipe  
and TJ, were actually treated quite well now. We had very nice rooms, though Lillith and I  
still chose to share a room; top quality equipment; and an endless supply of arsenal at our  
disposal. However, it was around this time that I found out that I had been poisoned.  
  
Even through the trauma, and even though many years had passed, Lillith had not lost her  
interest in biology, and had spent hours staring into a microscope developing various  
concoctions. One day, she asked me to test an indicator she had developed. "Put a drop of  
this in various poisons," she said. "If it changes color, that means it detected it and it  
works."  
  
I did so, and I reported to her that it worked. She was rather pleased with herself, but then  
left to take a shower. Out of curiosity, I decided to prick myself with a pin and test a drop  
of my own blood.  
  
I think my heart about stopped as I watched the indicator change color. I stared at it for about  
ten minutes, not daring to believe what I saw. Then I chuckled to myself. "Oh, very clever of  
you two," I said bitterly. "So this is your insurance; this is how you keep us under  
control."  
  
Soon however, I heard Lillith leave the shower, so I quickly cleaned up.   
  
I did not tell her that we were all poisoned.  
  
Later that day, Himmler and Atkins called us all in. "Operation: Meteor, has finally begun,"  
Atkins announced. The four of us exchanged glances. "Excuse me?" TJ asked, looking confused.  
Himmler explained. "Operation: Meteor will cause a lot of confusion on Earth and the colonies;  
that is all you need to know. During this time, we will seize control. This is where you  
four come in."  
  
I glanced at Lillith, and Phillipe and TJ also exchanged glances. Atkins saw. "Yes, you are  
right," he said cooly. "This is what you were trained for."  
  
"So now what?" Phillipe asked, looking bored.  
  
Himmler and Atkins stood up. "So now this," Himmler said, and waved his hand. A screen  
flickered on. On it were four large mobile suits. "What...the..." I heard TJ mutter.  
  
The rest of us stared as well. As part of our training, all four of us were skilled in the  
use of Leos and Pisces, and we had recently completed our training with Cancers. But these  
were definitely new to us. The four suits on the screen were much larger, and obviously much  
better equipped.  
  
"These are known as Gundams," Himmler announced. "They are made from Gundamium alloy;  
hence, the name. Lillith, you shall pilot the Phoenix; Veylona, you shall pilot the  
Seraphim; Phillipe, you are the pilot of the Basilisk; and TJ, you will pilot the Wyvern."  
  
Atkins removed several files. "You will have to fight the Rommefeller Foundation, as well as  
OZ, but your main enemies will be..." and he handed us the files. "Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell,  
Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and..." Lillith trailed off. For some reason, Himmler's  
eyes hardened. "Is there a problem, Lillith?" he asked coldly. I looked at her. Lillith's  
face had gone pale, and she seemed to have trouble speaking. But she quickly recovred.  
"No..." she said quietly, and finished the last name, "Wufei...Chang..."  
  
Chapter 11  
  
~Reiming~  
  
"Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, and..."  
  
"Is something wrong Lillith?"  
  
"No...and...Wufei Chang..."  
  
The words echoed in my mind as I walked out into the hangar where the four gundams were.  
"Wufei...Wufei...Wufei..."  
  
"NO!"  
  
Veylona turned around and stared. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Nothing..."  
  
Veylona obviously didn't believe me, but she gave up, and turned back around. I set my lips in  
a firm line and continued walking, trying to ignore the feelings that I had thought had   
disappeared long ago, and trying to ignore the cool touch of the pendant I always wore under my  
clothes, a charm in the shape of a phoenix.  
  
The phoenix...and the dragon...I am the phoenix, and Wufei is the dragon.  
  
No! Stop it! You are no longer Chang Reiming! Your name is Lillith, a girl without a past.  
  
And a girl without a soul...  
  
Furious with myself, I stopped walking and pulled out my necklace. "You stupid thing! You   
tie me to a past I want to forget!" I thought angrily, and attempted to tear it away.  
  
But I couldn't.  
  
I sighed and tucked it back in, feeling defeated. "My name is Lillith, my name is Lillith," I  
muttered to myself, trying to steel myself against the onslaught of emotion that threatened to  
break me apart. "I am a cold hearted murderer, I am not Chang Reiming. Chang Wufei is not my  
brother; he is not my twin. The necklace I wear is my symbol, the symbol of the mighty  
phoenix. It holds no connotations; it is merely who I am, fierce, proud."  
  
But unlike the phoenix, you are not willing to set yourself aflame...you value your own  
miserable life too much...  
  
Shut...up!  
  
Finally, I managed to silence the conscience I had long thought disappeared and don my mask  
once again. The six of us reached the gundams, and we stared.  
  
All four were equally impressive. The Seraphim, Phoenix, and Wyvern were obviously built for  
speed, while the Basilisk was built for firepower. I glanced at Phillipe's cold face. Yes,  
the Basilisk is the right suit for him. Like the mythical beast it was named for, this suit  
was large, strong, and possessed amazing weaponry. Phillipe had always hated subtlety; he  
enjoyed face to face confrontations, relishing the chaos of battle. The Basilisk would suit  
him well.  
  
However, Veylona, TJ, and I were different. All three of us specialized in espionage; we were  
the complete opposites of Phillipe. We chose hit and run tactics; strike the enemy  
unawares, hide, then come back for round two. And judging from the sleek design of our suits,  
we could tell that they had been made for us.  
  
All four suits had curious wings mounted on the back that concealed missiles, and faces   
representing what they were named for. The Seraphim had the face of a woman, and a beam cannon   
and a beam saber. The Phoenix also had a beam cannon and also a double headed thermal weapon,  
and had the face of a bird. The Wyvern was mounted with some sort of laser/cannon on the back,   
like a tail, along with a beam sword and guns on the shoulders. It had the face of a cross  
between a reptile and a person. Finally, the Basilisk was armed with several gatling guns, but   
also had lasers built in the head and shoulders. There was also a beam saber hidden in one of  
the arms, and it had a face similar to that of the Wyvern.  
  
We all sized our gundams up and down. "I want to test mine," Phillipe said boldly, and jumped  
into the cockpit. TJ followed, but Veylona and I stayed behind; we wanted to see exactly what  
these suits were made of.  
  
Phillipe and TJ started their suits, while I went over to a console and began running an  
analysis of the suits. Veylona joined me. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Before I throw myself into something that I have no idea of, I'm going to figure out  
exactly what those things are made of," I said. "I've never seen them before, and I don't like  
being caught unawares."  
  
Veylona nodded, and I knew that she had felt the same. I continued to type as the other two  
jumped into the sky and began fighting. It was impressive to watch. The two were easily at  
least 20 times stronger than the average Leo, but then again, I amended, it still depended on   
the skill of the pilot.  
  
"What's this?" Veylona pointed. I looked to see what she pointed to. "Hm...self  
destruct device?"  
  
Veylona reached over and began typing. "Well well well," she murmured, "it's connected to  
some unknown source." She raised an eyebrow. "Bet you there's some secret button somewhere  
in Himmler's or Atkins' room."  
  
"Or...in their gundams."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"They wouldn't entrust us with this much power. This is their insurance, just like-"  
and I stopped. Just a few days ago, I had realized that I had been innocuated with some  
sort of poison when I tested an indicator I had developed, and I had not told Veylona. I  
didn't want her to find out just yet. Just now, I had almost revealed it.  
  
Veylona had continued typing. "If I can just find the other gundams..." she muttered, still  
typing furiously. "Are you hacking into their computer?"  
  
"Yes...not the so-called main one, but one I discovered through the use of one of the  
various cameras we've hidden throughout the facility. It's somewhere underground..." and she  
continued working.  
  
Meanwhile, Phillipe and TJ had landed. "Ha ha!" Phillipe exulted. "This is most excellent! I  
feel so powerful!" and he aimed his guns at us. "How do you two feel now?" he crowed. "You  
are both at our mercy!"  
  
I raised an eyebrow coldly. "Who is at who's mercy? You two jumped into your suits like the  
foolish BOYS you are. You couldn't wait to play with your new toys; well, we've discovered  
something quite interesting. You see, there is a certain little something planted deep within  
your suits. Would you like us to show you what it is?"  
  
"What do you mean?!"  
  
"Uh-uh...that is for us to know."  
  
TJ, who actually used his brain more than his brawn, suddenly demanded, "There are self  
destruct devices implanted, aren't there?!"  
  
"Umm...maybe so, maybe no. Regardless, would you like for us to see if there are? If  
there are, well then, one push of the wrong button would just 'accidentally' blow you to  
pieces," I said cooly, and casually put my hand over a random button, just for the effect.  
  
Phillipe kept his guns aimed at us, then, disgusted, jerked them away and jumped out of his  
suit, fists clenched. TJ did the same. "You fucking bitches," Phillipe snarled, advancing  
toward us. "I'll be sure to make you pay. You two are going DOWN!"  
  
"As are you both," Veylona said icily, looking up from her typing. "See you all in  
hell."  
  
Phillipe glared some more, but TJ came up and turned him away. "They're not worth it," he  
said, and steered him back towards the compound. I watched them go, and turned back to  
Veylona. "Find it yet?"  
  
"Yeah...but hold on," she said, downloading information onto a CD, then quickly  
pocketed it. "In our room, but no earlier," she said. That said, we quickly headed back.  
  
In our room, Veylona typed in a secret password into her laptop and accessed a part of it, that,  
according to the best of our knowledge, Himmler and Atkins did not know existed. She downloaded  
the information on her suit in, as I did with mine, and she also downloaded the information she  
had taken. "Here," she said, turning the monitor towards me.  
  
"Chimera and Griffon?"  
  
"Has to be it. They're hidden...here," and she tapped a few keys. A diagram of an  
extensive underground network popped up. A blinking light indicated where the other suits  
were. I studied the diagram.  
  
"We can't have Himmler and Atkins controlling us like this," I said, tapping me fingers.  
"Can you reroute the sequence for the activation of the self destruct mechanisms to our suits,  
or somewhere else?"  
  
Veylona frowned. "Yes...but we will still need to disable the ones in their suits..."  
  
"But if we disable it, then they will know that we were the ones who did it."  
  
"Right...Why don't we just deal with the ones in the Wyvern and Basilisk? All we need  
to do is connect the sequence for their devices into ours, and not even bother with sneaking  
into the underground room. I don't think Himmler and Atkins will detonate any of us any time  
soon; they need us. But WE need to be able to control Phillipe and TJ. They are definitely a  
threat," she finished.  
  
I agreed. "We should also encrypt our codes, so they can't connect our devices with their  
suits."  
  
"Exactly...I'll do it for mine, and you'll do it for yours."  
  
I smiled grimly. "It looks like our own Operation: Natural Selection, is about to begin anew."  
  
"Oh, yes."  
  
Chapter 12  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
Phillipe definitely had plenty of brawn; sadly, for him at least, no brain. His threatening of  
Lillith and I was extremely tactless of him, and he certainly sealed his doom with that  
action.  
  
But then again, we had planned on eliminating them both sooner or later.  
  
Lillith and I encrypted our self destruct mechanisms, preventing access to them. Then, we  
connected the devices in the Wyvern and Basilisk to ours. That done, we decided to sit and  
wait.  
  
We did not have long. Operation: Meteor was in full swing on Earth, and chaos reigned  
supreme. Rommefeller had internal problems, and with the gundams wreaking havoc, the Earth  
and the space colonies were in total disarray. Himmler and Atkins were nearly dancing with  
anticipation.  
  
Unfortunately for them, fate dealt them a cruel blow. A few days before the four of us were  
scheduled to attack with a legion of fighting prototypes known as mobile dolls, a man named  
Treize Khrushrenada beat them to it. With the help of OZ and his right hand man, the   
mysterious Zechs Merquise, he staged a coup and seized power.  
  
Lillith and I walked into the meeting room, where we had been called. Himmler had shot the  
TV, and it sat there, smoking. Atkins' eyes were glittering dangerously.  
  
"That bastard! How could he?! And we were so close!" Himmler ranted, about to pull out  
his hair, not that he had much as it was.  
  
Phillipe and TJ, who arrived shortly after us, smirked. TJ leaned in close to Lillith. "What  
happened?" he whispered.  
  
"Someone beat them to the punch," Lillith remarked dryly. "They missed the boat."  
  
TJ chuckled softly and sidled up to Lillith suggestively. "That's too bad," he whispered in her  
ear. "I would have enjoyed having some fun. Maybe we can still have some, hm?" he said,  
nibbling her ear. Lillith closed her eyes and leaned into him. I turned away to stifle a   
smile. After the crossfire with Phillipe and us pretending to be able to activate the bombs  
in their suits, TJ had started flirting with Lillith. Of course, this disgusted her, but we  
had decided that she would lead him on a little. Both of us knew that he was probably going to  
try to get information out of her, and then kill her, but first have some "fun." And so since  
both of us were adept at the fine art of seduction, we decided to use that to our  
advantage.  
  
Atkins finally noticed the antics of Lillith and TJ, and snarled, "You animals, go do it  
somewhere else!" he growled. TJ cast a condescending look in his direction. "Very sorry sir,"  
he said sarcastically, and reached for Lillith, but she slipped out of his grasp. "Later,"  
she murmured, looking up at him through her lashes, and casually sauntered her way towards me to  
stand next to me. "Bastard," she hissed, but quietly.  
  
Himmler had not calmed down yet, and continued his ranting. Finally, Phillipe had enough.  
"With all due respect, SIR," he sneered. "Why don't you wait? This Treize Khrushrenada can  
only reign for so long before the exact same thing happens again. It will only take a few more  
years. Let's wait, and improve our gundams as time passes. In the mean time, let's study  
these five pilots; learn their tactics. When the time comes, we'll be truly ready for them."  
And with that, he turned and marched out of the room, with TJ right behind him.  
  
Lillith cast a look at me. "Perhaps he does have some brain after all," she mouthed, and  
inclined her head towards Himmler, "Sir," she acknowledged, and turned and left. I followed.  
  
We went to our room, and Lillith and I pulled out our computers. "I'm actually going to follow  
that jerk's advice and try to figure out their battle tactics," I said. Lillith nodded.   
"Likewise."  
  
The two of us spent the next few hours reviewing clips of the gundams in action. They were  
quite impressive. After a while, Lillith closed it and started studying the profiles instead.  
  
"Interesting..." she muttered.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She showed me a photo. "This," she said, gesturing, "is Trowa Barton, son of Dekim Barton and  
brother to Leia Barton. But this," she said, showing another picture, "is the pilot of gundam  
03, Heavyarms."  
  
I frowned as I looked at the picture of a crude looking blond man smirking at the camera to  
a somewhat fuzzy picture of a boy our age with curious brown hair swept over his face with  
dull green eyes. "Huh, what happened?"  
  
Lillith shrugged. "Can't be plastic surgery; these two must be different people. This pilot  
must be an impostor, but why?" and she began typing into the computer.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Hacking into the Barton Foundation's computer."  
  
"Let me help."  
  
After an hour, we finally succeeded. "Well then, so the real Trowa Barton was shot and killed  
shortly before Operation: Meteor," I stated. Lillith also read the document. "Seems like  
Operation: Meteor is actually not going as planned."   
  
I nodded. "Operation: Meteor's stated goal is to avenge the death of Heero Yuy. But here," I  
indicated, "it shows that it actually is for the Barton Foundation to seize control of  
Earth," and I stretched and yawned. "Really, just how many people want to rule the world? Do  
they have nothing better to do?"  
  
Lillith smirked. "Probably not," and she began search the database. "NOW what?" I said,  
bored and tired. "So this guy's an impostor. Big deal; he's still the same: a gundam pilot  
and our enemy."  
  
"Not our enemy," Lillith murmured. "Himmler and Atkins' enemy. We are just the  
soldiers. Ah," she said, pulling up an entry. "No Name huh? How original," she remarked,  
showing me a picture. "An engineer for the Barton Foundation," I read, then turned back to  
my lap top. "When you're done wasting your time, let's go eat, okay?" I said, flopping down on  
bed. "I'm taking a nap."  
  
"Mmm," was Lillith's answer, still typing. I sighed and went to sleep.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
~Reiming~  
  
It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to turn on a guy. It took TJ about three seconds  
to arouse himself. Disgusting.  
  
When you get down to it, men just follow their pointers through life.  
  
Okay, I admit it, I'm biased. Now, married and with a child, I hardly feel that way, but for the  
sake of my writing this, let's just pretend for the moment that I hate and despise all men.  
  
Which is why I surprised even myself as I combed through the Barton Foundation's data base  
searching for the impostor's DNA sample, and then accessing a database that recorded all the  
births on Earth and each of the colonies. There were easily a few billion entries, and I was  
afraid that my poor computer would explode, but it didn't.  
  
After several hours of turning up with no match, I finally matched No Name's DNA with the  
infant Triton Bloom, born AC 180 on Earth. There really was no point in my finding out really,  
but I guess after living in paranoia for most of my life, I'd formed the habit of finding out  
as much as I could about my enemies.   
  
Then, somewhat hesitantly, I looked up Wufei's profile.  
  
I stared at the picture for a long time. "I don't believe this; he looks like a nerd," I  
thought, amused. The boy with semi long hair and glasses that stared seriously at me did not  
resemble the fiery boy I had known. Then I scrolled down some more.  
  
"Well, what do you know, he did marry Meilai's sister after all," I chuckled, looking  
at their dour faces in the wedding picture. Then I frowned. "Meiran Ron, DOB AC 180...DOD  
AC 194? She died? How?" and I read. "Oh...a battle with OZ. That's a shame," and I  
glanced over at the sleeping Veylona. "Wonder if she'd care..."  
  
I read some more on the other pilots. Heero Yuy was actually Odin Lowe Jr; his father had  
actually been the one to assassinate the original Heero Yuy. "Now that's irony," I  
muttered. Duo Maxwell was an orphan who was known as "Maxwell's demon." Trowa Barton, er,  
Triton Bloom, had a sister named Cathrine with whom he was working with at the moment...but  
neither knew that they were related (more irony). Quatre Raberba Winner was a member of the  
pacifist Winner family (even more irony). Finally, Wufei Chang is...was...my brother.  
  
That was probably the most ironic of all, which disgusted me.  
  
Finally, I decided that I had dealt with enough irony for a day, and I roused Veylona. "Hey,  
wake up. I'm hungry."  
  
Veylona opened one eye lazily. "About time," she muttered, and got up. She glanced at the  
screen on my laptop, and her eyes widened somewhat when she read that Meiran had died, but  
she stopped quickly. She glanced at me. I shrugged. "Thought you should know."  
  
"Why would I care? I'm not related to Meiran Ron," she said stiffly, but as she left  
the room, her shoulders shook somewhat, but when I looked at her in the face next, her eyes  
were blank, as they had been for the last few years.  
  
We walked toward the dining room and picked up our food. TJ of course tried to convince me to  
meet in his room later, but I rejected him. "Blame your friend," I said with feigned  
sweetness. "I'll be studying the gundam pilots tonight, just as Phillipe suggested. I'm  
afraid you won't be getting any tonight," I finished, patting his cheek. As I walked away, I  
muttered, "Nor will you EVER get any from me."  
  
I took my food and sat by Veylona, who was scanning the documents reporting the latest  
developments on Earth. "That was an interesting conversation you two had," she muttered to me,  
not looking up. I twitched my mouth in a semblance of a smile, and tested the food with   
the indicator I had formed, a habit I had started a long time ago. When it changed color, I  
frowned, and I tossed my head at Phillipe. "Disappointed?" I called out. "Idiot, you'll have  
to do better than that."  
  
Phillipe glared at me furiously, then went back to his food. I rolled my eyes and got another  
plate from the cook.  
  
After dinner, Phillipe came up to me. "What do you want?" I said, when I saw him. "Listen to  
me," he hissed. "I'm sick of working for these two bastards. You and Veylona just stay out of  
my way."  
  
I simply ignored him, and examined my skirt. "What, upset that the poison you slipped in didn't  
work? Really, that's pathetic. We've always stayed out of your way; you're the one that  
keeps interfering."  
  
Phillipe let out a snarl, and I looked up. "Look you fucking bastard, I can take you any day.  
Don't piss me off," I said coldly, staring straight into his eyes. Phillipe snorted. "Is that  
right?"  
  
"You know I'm right. YOU better stay out of MY way," I said, disgusted, and walked  
past him to my room.  
  
That evening, I told Veylona about our exchange. "He's becoming increasingly annoying," she  
said placidly. I agreed. "And I'm sick of letting TJ stick his hands into my clothes," I  
added. "We need to do something about them. Ready to finish off Operation: Natural  
Selection?"  
  
"Of course. Phillipe doesn't want to work for Himmler and Atkins any more, right?  
Well then, all WE have to do is drop a few subtle hints, and 'accidentally' leak some   
information. We get Phillipe and hopefully TJ to try and attack Himmler and Atkins, but at the  
same time, we tell Himmler and Atkins about it, so they'll probably arm themselves by using  
their gundams, and we all know what're in their gundams..." 


	4. Part Four: Dangers Removed; Only the She...

Chapter 14  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
And so we put our plan into action. We hinted to Himmler and Atkins how Phillipe and TJ  
were becoming increasingly discontent, and we also hinted that we should go to Earth soon to  
see what was happening. We figured that Phillipe at least would use this chance to rebel,  
giving us the excuse to get rid of him.  
  
And so, after some persuasion, I got Lillith to "go with TJ" one evening, in order to drop a   
few hints. When she came back the next morning, the first words out of her mouth were, "You  
owe me big."  
  
"Did it work?"  
  
"Yeah," she called over her shoulder, heading for the shower. "If you'll excuse me, I'll  
be in the shower, trying to wash his stench off of me."  
  
When she came out, she filled me in. "Basically, I said that we would go on a reconnaissance  
mission in three days, and that we were going alone, just the four of us. The rest of the time,  
well, I was trying not to throw up."  
  
"Still hard for you?"  
  
"I guess, even if it HAS been five years...Ugh! He's so disgusting!" she complained,  
shuddering.  
  
So in three days, Himmler and Atkins called us in for a briefing and gave us our assignment. We  
were to observe what was going on, and we were to stay as far away from the gundam pilots as  
possible.  
  
"This is a secret mission!" Himmler barked. "Don't get caught."  
  
Phillipe snorted, but discreetly, and exchanged a glance with TJ. "You are dismissed," Atkins  
said coldly.  
  
All four of us left, and immediately, Phillipe and TJ walked off, muttering. Lillith and I  
exchanged disgusted glances. Later that day, the two of us were called in again.  
  
"It has come to our attention that Phillipe and TJ have become potentially dangerous,"  
Atkins said. I hid a smile. Of course they had finally realized it; it was Lillith and I that  
had made sure that they had.   
  
Atkins continued. "Phillipe will be the leader of this mission, and we will give him the  
control for the self detonation device for your suits. However, it will be a fake. In reality,  
you two are the leaders. Should either of them show even the slightest hint of rebellion,  
detonate their suits at once."  
  
Lillith and I nodded. "We will not fail you, sir," I said, and we left.  
  
A few hours later, we departed for Earth. It was the first time either of us had been there.  
We entered the atmosphere, and began to spread out. Suddenly, Phillipe and TJ swung their  
suits around. "You two are finished!" Phillipe called gleefully. "Sorry babe," TJ said to  
Lillith, "but we're going to detonate your suits now. Say goodbye."  
  
"What?!" I said, pretending to be surprised. "Why?!"  
  
"We're sick of working for those two old men," Phillipe growled. "With our firepower  
and training, we don't need them! We'll take over Operation: Natural Selection, and we'll  
rule the world! And we don't need you two. You'll just get in the way."  
  
I rolled my eyes at this tacky speech. "Pathetic," Lillith sneered.  
  
"Ha! You're just saying that because you've lost! Good bye," they called over, and  
pressed a button.  
  
Nothing happened, just as we had expected.  
  
"What?!" TJ exploded. "What just happened?!"  
  
Lillith laughed a cold laugh. "Watch and learn," she said icily, and detonated the Basilisk.  
The thing exploded in a burst of light. TJ stared at it, aghast. "How stupid do you think we  
are? We knew you'd pull something dumb; we knew all along. And so we made sure that Himmler  
and Atkins found out too. The switch they gave you? It's a fake. The real one is right here,  
with us."  
  
"No..." TJ choked out.  
  
"Oh yes," I said grimly. "And now, this is where it ends for you," and I detonated the  
Wyvern.  
  
We watched the light show for a few minutes, then Lillith said, "We'd better get back."  
  
"Agreed. Let's get out of here before someone comes."  
  
Chapter 15  
  
~Reiming~  
  
And so, Phillipe and TJ met their untimely demise. Veylona and I flew back to tell Himmler and  
Atkins exactly what happened. We made sure to tell it exactly as it was, since we knew they  
had been listening in on the entire conversation.  
  
After we were done, they nodded, satisfied. "Good good," Himmler said, pleased. "Now that those  
two are done, we can get down to business preparing."  
  
And so we settled for a life on the sidelines. We watched as power switched from Treize to  
Rommefeller to the White Fang and until the conflict finally ended. We also watched how the  
power hungry Dekim Barton attempted his own coup. During this time, we continued our  
training and research. We even upgraded our gundams, changing the gundamium alloy to  
something the technicians of Himmler and Atkins had developed, X-Gundamium, which was more  
durable but not much denser.  
  
During the war, the ZERO cockpit system was developed. Veylona and I became fascinated with it,  
and we set to create something better. Finally, we developed the XERO system, which worked the  
same way as the ZERO did, integrating data with brain waves, but with much less risk. Also, in  
preparation for the battle we would fight with the gundam pilots, we developed the ANTI ZERO  
program, which caused the ZERO system to overload, resulting in severe head pain, and, if  
prolonged, death.  
  
During this period of a few years, we all relaxed. Our last competition, Phillipe and TJ, had  
already been eliminated; there wasn't much else to do except continue our training and try to  
develop new things.  
  
So this is why, when one day, on impulse, I decided to sneak down to Himmler's and Atkins'  
quarters to listen in, just as I had done a decade ago, and received a massive shock.  
  
I guess the main reason was because I was bored, but to this day, I'm really not too sure why  
I did what I did. Regardless, I stuck in a microphone, put on the headphones, and listened.  
  
"The time is right to attack," Atkins said.  
  
"Yes...there are no more gundams; the Earth and the colonies have completely disarmed  
themselves. Now would be a perfect time for us to put our plan for world domination into  
action!"  
  
I rolled my eyes at this. I had certainly heard THIS before.  
  
"Yes...Lillith and Veylona have certainly become the Perfect Soldiers. They will be  
an excellent asset."  
  
A pause. Then, "Those two still worry me. We allowed Phillipe and TJ to join forces, and they  
turned against us. I'm sure those two are doing much more than we know they are; they are  
still extremely dangerous. In fact, I won't even be surprised if they've already disarmed the  
self detonation devices by now," Himmler stated. "No, we only need one of the two, but  
which one shall it be?"  
  
Another pause. Then, Atkins said, "Well then, remember our little wager a few years back?  
How we bet that whoever chose the most children that survived would receive that satellite, but  
we couldn't determine a winner because you had selected Lillith and Phillipe, and I had chosen  
Veylona and TJ? Well then, how about now? We could finish our little bet now."  
  
Himmler laughed. "Yes, I have not forgotten about our little wager. Well then, we'll just  
have Lillith and Veylona fight to the death then. It should be an interesting battle. When  
do you think we should?"  
  
"First thing tomorrow morning. After the winner is determined, let's begin our plan,  
say, in a week, on the date of the wedding of Relena Darlian and Heero Yuy?"  
  
"Excellent. I cannot wait for the Earth and colonies to be under our control."  
  
I sat there in the shadows in stupor, not believing what I had just heard. I quickly got up  
and walked away, my thoughts in turmoil. I briefly thought of infiltrating the room where I  
knew Himmler and Atkins kept the antidote for the poison, room 11B, and then taking it and   
running. Then I thought of joining forces with my brother. But I guess, deep down, my mind had  
been made up long ago, when I first told Veylona that I was determined to survive, no matter  
what. Therefore, I only had one option.  
  
I would kill Veylona.  
  
I spent all evening preparing a poison to slip in Veylona's food. I had to time this one  
perfectly; it couldn't affect her too soon; it couldn't affect her too late. Though I knew all  
of her strengths and weaknesses, I knew she knew the same for me. I didn't know about the  
chances of my surviving a battle with her...and I was too much of a coward to have to fight her  
face to face.  
  
"I'm sorry...Meilai," I whispered, just as I had to the first girl I killed when I was  
six years old. "I'm...so...sorry..."  
  
And for the first time in over a decade, I bent my head and I cried.  
  
Chapter 16  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
I don't think I've ever received so many shocks in my life as I did on this day. First came the  
shock that Lillith and I would have to fight to the death. Then came the shock that Lillith  
had been perfectly willing to kill me as I lay on the floor, gasping for breath, the poison  
killing me. Then, when I woke up again, the shock that I actually was still alive, and then  
the shock that Lillith had not told me her real name, as I thought she had, though by name, I  
don't think anything could really shock me anymore.  
  
It all started that morning. Lillith and I got up like we did any other day. Even though  
Lillith knew exactly what would happen, she didn't show it. We made small talk, took our  
shower, brushed our teeth, etc. I had no idea that Lillith had spent all night making the  
perfect poison to use on me, and that, when I turned around for a brief instant, that she had  
emptied it into my food.  
  
As soon as we had eaten, Himmler and Atkins called us in, and told us to bring our swords.  
"I wonder what for..." I mused as I picked up my sword. Lillith muttered something or other that  
I didn't hear, but I didn't pay attention to it.  
  
My first warning came when, once we entered the office, Himmler and Atkins took us to a large  
arena. "What's this?" I asked. They smiled nastily. "You see ladies," Atkins said, "after the  
incident with Phillipe and TJ, Himmler and I have decided that we really can't have you two  
forming alliances. We don't even need you both. Therefore," and he waved to the arena, "you  
two will fight it out right here, right now. The victor will walk away alive, the loser, on the  
other hand..." and left his sentence hanging.  
  
I felt the wind rush out of me. "No...you can't be serious!" I cried. "Oh, but we are,"  
Himmler said gleefully. "This battle should be most interesting."  
  
I looked at Lillith, aghast. She was pointedly ignoring me, staring straight in front of her.  
I couldn't believe that I was being forced to kill her.  
  
Or get killed by her.  
  
That thought hardened my heart, and I boldly walked into the ring. "Let's get started," I  
said harshly, drawing my sword. In the stands, Himmler and Atkins settled back with satisfied  
smiles on their faces.  
  
Lillith looked at me with dead eyes. Something about that look wasn't right, and suddenly, I  
realized, "Oh my God, she knew..."  
  
And at that moment, the floor gave way. The room started spinning, and everything went black.  
The last thought I had was, "Lillith, I swear, if I survive, I will kill you. I swear it, on  
my honor."  
  
several days later...  
  
"Ugh..."  
  
"Well well, look who's back from the dead. It's about time."  
  
Wearily, I opened my eyes...and saw the face of Atkins leering at me. "See Himmler," he  
crowed, "I told you that she wouldn't die so easily!"  
  
Himmler snorted. "Well, she certainly took her time. It's been about a week!"  
  
I finally gathered my wits about me. "Where's Lillith?" I asked coldly. "Where is she?"  
  
Atkins laughed. "Well, she's alive and well. You should have seen the expression on her face  
after you passed out. Most curious." He leaned in closer. "Yes, very curious. Her eyes  
went flat, like she was dead. Not apathy, but dead. Quite interesting."  
  
"I don't care!" I said harshly. "I could care less what she felt. She was willing to  
kill me; she didn't even face me in battle! Where is she?! I swore that I would kill her, now  
I'm going to do so!"  
  
"Calm down," Himmler said cooly. "Quit posturing. I'm sure you'll get your chance;   
Atkins and I do not expect her to remain loyal to us for much longer."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"You know, Lillith is not her true name. I won't tell you her true name; I'm sure  
when you see her again, she will tell you. But I will tell you this: she is linked to one of  
the gundam pilots. Therefore, there is a good chance that she will betray us and join them.  
Then, you can have your revenge. But for now," he said, straightenining, "Would you like to  
see her?"  
  
I nodded grimly. "Where is she?"  
  
Himmler waved to a screen. On it was a figure in a dark cloak. "Is that her?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Lillith seemed to be addressing a large crowd from the base to Earth. Upon closer examination,  
I saw the faces of the ex-gundam pilots. "Why is Relena Darlian in that dress, and Heero Yuy  
in that suit? Did they just marry?"  
  
"Yes," Atkins responded, but quieted as Lillith began speaking.  
  
"Mrs. Yuy, we are declaring war. You have three years to arm yourselves."  
  
She had said more, but I only paid attention to that. "Why are you giving them three years?"  
I asked coldly. "Finish them now."  
  
Himmler cracked a smile. "I think poisoning you has awakened an alter self in her," he said  
airily. "She wants them to rebuild the gundams, so she can have a decent fight. Yes, Lillith  
has come to love the joy of battle."  
  
I ignored Himmler, focusing only on Lillith. "Watch out Lillith," I thought. "Your days are  
numbered." I clenched my fists angrily, glaring at her. "For what you did, I will make you  
pay dearly."  
  
Chapter 17, part A  
  
~Reiming~  
  
Before Veylona collapsed, she looked at me for a split second, and I could tell that she  
realized what I had done. Then she just fell down. I think, seeing that, I completely  
destroyed my soul, something I did not know I even still had. Because Veylona had kept me  
alive, sustained me, as I had done the same for her. Even though I did not know it, she had  
helped me cling onto that small part of humanity. By destroying her, I had, essentially,  
killed myself.  
  
I stared at her for a long time, not moving. Then, I heard clapping. Himmler had stood up, and  
was applauding. "Excellent Lillith, most excellent. You've won." I only looked at him  
blankly through dead eyes. When I spoke, it wasn't even my voice anymore. "I have eliminated  
Veylona," I said flatly. "It is finished. Operation: Natural Selection, is over."  
  
"Indeed it is," Himmler said gleefully, and turned to Atkins. "And you have lost our  
little bet."  
  
Atkins simply grunted, and also stood. "Relena Darlian and Heero Yuy will be having their  
wedding in a week," he said. "On that day, you will issue a proclamation of war."  
  
"War? It will not be a war. It will be a rout. It would be pointless to do so." I  
said icily.   
  
Himmler looked at me sideways. "What are you saying?"  
  
"Give them time...give them three years. I've survived hell; what's the point if I   
cannot use the skills I have learned. Let them arm themselves, the gundam pilots. I want to  
see what they can do."  
  
And I turned and left, leaving Veylona dead on the floor.  
  
And so, seven days later, I found myself staring down at the gundam pilots. In a dead voice,  
I issued my challenge...and spoke to my brother for the first time in fourteen years. He  
hadn't changed at all; he was still chauvanistic, proud, and haughty. Even as I gave order to  
detonate a satellite to prove that I was serious about my proclamation, I felt a twinge in my  
heart. "Wufei...my brother...you are still alive. I have not seen you for so long..." I  
thought, looking at him, but without grief. My emotions and feelings had disappeared a week  
ago; I knew no sympathy or pity, but, seeing my brother, I couldn't help but feel a trace of  
longing. But that disappeared abruptly. "Forget it," I said harshly to myself, after the  
connection had been severed. "You were never welcome in that household; Wufei never even  
cared for you, even though you once cared for him. You were banished from his heart."  
  
However, a few hours later, I found myself downloading onto a disk the XERO program and   
extensive data on Himmler and Atkins and their respective suits. I hid this away. "Just in  
case," I murmured. "Just in case."  
  
several years later...  
  
AC 203. In 24 hours, I would face the gundam pilots. Standing in front of the Phoenix, I  
whispered Veylona's line: Let the games begin, Phoenix...let the games begin.  
  
And unbeknownst to me, on another part of the station, Veylona watched me through  
impassioned eyes. "Let the games begin, Lillith..."  
  
a few weeks later...  
  
Chapter 17, part B  
  
*~Meilai~*  
  
What Himmler and Atkins had predicted had come true: Lillith had indeed capitulated to the side  
of the gundam pilots. Everything at first had gone smoothly: she had easily defeated all  
five of the gundam pilots, including Zechs Merquise, and then had succeeded in kidnapping the  
majority of the pilots in an effort to obtain their suits. However, for some reason that I did  
not know, she invited the pilots of 03 and 05, Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang, to the station...  
without telling Himmler or Atkins. By the time her plan was discovered...she had disappeared.  
  
Though they had been prepared for it, Himmler and Atkins were still furious. Lillith had  
been skilled in her job; a few more days, and the two monsters would have had achieved  
victory. But that didn't matter to me; all I cared for was to defeat Lillith. After I did,  
I would have no reason to live. "My final enemy will be gone," I thought. "What role in life  
would I play then?"  
  
And so, I planned for Lillith's death, and for my own. Finally, the chance came. Himmler and  
Atkins had been furious at Lillith's betrayal, and were in favor of an all out assault on  
their base. But I convinced them otherwise.  
  
"Stop overreacting," I said coldly. "The time will come."  
  
And it did. One day, on our surveillance cameras, I caught sight of a shuttle leaving the  
station and heading for Earth, alone. I followed, hoping that it was Lillith.  
  
However, it was in reality Mariemaia Khrushrenada, who was heartbroken. Evidently, Lillith had  
just disappeared without a trace, and Mariemaia, who had formed a strong bond with her, felt  
betrayed. Watching her sob, I knew how she felt. "You've hurt too many people, Lillith,"  
I murmured. "And now, you will pay."  
  
I knew Lillith would come back to save Mariemaia, so I knocked her out and took her back to  
the station. Then I issued a statement, stating that if the gundam pilots did not surrender in  
24 hours, Mariemaia would die. Then, I sat and waited for my final opponent in life to  
arrive.  
  
Chapter 18  
  
"Whew! I'm (yawn) FINALLY done!"  
  
Reiming stretched, yawned, and stared with satisfaction at the fat packet of paper in her  
hands.  
  
"Feel better?"  
  
Reiming turned around. "Well...I suppose, somewhat," she said, smiling thinly at Trowa. He  
smiled. "Good," he whispered, putting his arms around her. "I'm glad."  
  
She blinked sleepily. "Yeah...that took a long time; I'm exhausted!" Then her eyes  
widened. "Oh no! Where's Giselle? Oh, I shouldn't have left her alone for so long!"  
  
Trowa laughed at his wife's panic. "I packed Giselle off to Quatre's and Dorothy's. She's  
been busy playing with Clare* for the past few days. Wufei did the same with Wuten and Wuli.  
It was a good chance for them to meet with Rayan again."  
  
Reiming raised an eyebrow at him. "You planned this all very well, didn't you?!" she accused,  
poking his nose. Trowa smiled, and Reiming sighed. "No matter how hard I try, you somehow  
end up one step ahead of me. How unfair."  
  
"Life, dear, is not fair."  
  
"Really? Is that right?" and she let out another yawn. Trowa chuckled softly. "Off to  
bed with you!" he teased, and picked her up.   
  
"Hey! Put me down!"  
  
"Hmm...no."  
  
Reiming glared at him. "You're just lucky I'm too tired to fight right now," she muttered, then  
settled against his chest and immediately fell asleep. Trowa looked down at his sleeping  
wife and smiled, then kissed her on her head. "It's nice to know that you will be sleeping  
soundly once again."  
  
at the Chang residence  
  
"Ugh...I can't believe how long this took..." Meilai muttered, staring at the papers  
in her hand, and then she yawned. "I'm exhausted..."  
  
"Hello," a voice said by her ear. Meilai yelped and droppped her papers. "Wufei!  
Baka, look at what you just made me do!"  
  
Wufei smiled at the indignant expression on her face. "Is my wife back to normal now?" he  
asked innocently.  
  
Meilai rolled her eyes, "Yes, your wife is back to normal now," she said sarcastically, then  
smiled a little. "Now, pick these up!"  
  
Wufei groaned. "Yes, my wife is definitely back to normal..." as he stooped to pick up the  
papers. After he was done, he found that his exhausted wife had fallen asleep...standing up.  
He smiled, then a mischievous expression came to his face. Carefully not waking her up,  
he took her and flipped her over his shoulder, just as he did a few days ago. Of course, she  
immediately woke up at that.  
  
"Wufei!! Put me down, now!" she shrieked, hitting him, not that it did much. Wufei  
just laughed. "Go ahead and try and make me, onna," he teased. Meilai subsided, grumbling as  
he carried her off to their bedroom.  
  
a few days later...  
  
"So this is it, eh?" Reiming asked, leafing through Meilai's huge stack of papers.  
  
"Yes. These are yours?" Meilai asked, waving to Reiming's stack. She nodded.  
"What are you going to do with yours?" Reiming asked her. Meilai shrugged. "I'm not too sure  
yet...it was good to get it off my chest...but now, I don't know what to do with it!" she  
finished, laughing.  
  
Reiming smiled. "I don't either. I have no idea what to do with this, though I guess I'll  
just lock it away. If Giselle ever asks about my history, once she grows up, I guess I'll  
take it out and give it to her. Other than that..." and she trailed off.  
  
Meilai looked at the papers thoughtfully. "You know, Reiming," she said quietly. "I'd...kind  
of like to read yours," she finished uncertainly. Reiming stared, then smiled. "I guess...I  
guess I would like to read yours too..."  
  
The two looked at each other, and smiled.  
  
a few days later...  
  
Giselle had come back the day before, bursting with stories on how Clare how roomfuls of toys  
and how mean her brother Rayan and her cousins were to them, but how they paid them back,  
and how the forty "Uncle Maguanacs" had made them yummy food, and how Aunt Dorothy had  
bought her lots of toys, and she went on and on and on. Trowa and Reiming had listened  
patiently as their daughter chattered on and on. "Oh, and it was so much FUN!" the child  
said enthusiastically. "I haven't seen her this hyper in a long time," Reiming chuckled that  
evening, as she and Trowa got ready for bed. She started to get under the covers, then   
stared at the pile of papers she had gotten from Meilai. "Aren't you going to read them,  
Reiming?" Trowa asked. She thought for a moment, then smiled. "Yes, I will...When I am   
ready..."  
  
elsewhere...  
  
"...and then Clare came and stuck mud in our shoes, but then we threw water  
balloons at them..."  
  
"...Giselle started to cry, and Aunt Dorothy made us apologize..."  
  
"...Uncle Quatre took us to one of the resource satellites, where his sister gave us  
ice cream!"  
  
"...can we have ponies too? Rayan has five of his own..."  
  
Like Giselle, Wuten and Wuli had come back, bursting with stories about their weekend stay  
at the Winner residence. As she listened, Meilai smiled. She still couldn't believe how  
lucky she was. This past weekend, she had forced herself to relive her horrible past, but,  
as she listened to her two sons and glanced down at the papers in her lap. "I guess...it was  
worth it...Reiming and I learned a lot...and once we read these, we'll learn even more  
about each other," and she smiled.  
  
That evening, as both Reiming and Meilai went to sleep, Trowa and Wufei contacted each other.  
  
"So, has Meilai forgiven you yet?" Trowa asked Wufei. Wufei smirked. "Yes, I'm pretty  
sure she has," he said smugly. Trowa gave a half smile. "I don't want to know," he  
chuckled to himself.  
  
After the phone call, Trowa went back to bed. Glancing down at Reiming, he smiled. "Good  
night...sweet dreams," he murmured, and turned off the light.  
  
Wufei did the same at his home. Watching Meilai sleep peacefully for the first time in a  
month, he also felt at peace. "Meilai, your pain is my pain. I'm glad that you've finally  
been able to let go..."  
  
And so, finally, Chang Reiming and Ron Meilai finally allowed themselves to let go of their  
past, and for the first time in a long time, they slept...and they dreamt sweet dreams.  
  
OWARI  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
*Author's note: yes, I know I named Quatre and Dorothy's second child Clara in Ghosts of the  
Past, but for some reason, I decided that Clare Winner sounded better than Clara Winner, so...  
what can I say:) I changed her name.  
  
Whew! I'm finally done! What did you all think of my second fic??? I don't think it's as  
good as Ghosts of the Past...but hey, I tried! PLEASE send me some feedback at  
lilangel4u@yahoo.com. Hope you enjoyed reading! 


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